A 25-member delegation of students and teachers from the Myungho Elementary School in Busan, South Korea, visited Shanghai in late May for a four-day cultural exchange with students and staff members from the Zizhu Primary School Affiliated to ECNU (East China Normal University).

As part of the program arranged by the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, over 20 South Korean students and teachers visited the China Welfare Institute Children's Palace in downtown Jing'an district on May 29.

There, they joined their Chinese peers on a hands-on exploration of China's intangible cultural heritage.

In earlier activities, students from both schools were paired as exchange partners through interactive games. These partnerships continued during the cultural workshop, where the young participants explored two traditional Chinese crafts — tie-dyeing and shadow puppetry.

Guided by instructors at the China Welfare Institute Children's Palace, students learned the origins of tie-dye techniques and experimented with different methods such as spiral and radial folds, and binding techniques like the butterfly knot and the cross pattern.

Through multiple rounds of soaking and dyeing, each student created their own unique canvas tote bag, immersing themselves in the creative process.

In the shadow puppetry workshop, warm lights brought to life iconic figures such as the Monkey King and Nezha. Students colored their own shadow puppets, guided by instructors.

One Myeongho student, Ha Jun, was particularly inspired by the tale of the Monkey King, designing a warrior figure based on the legendary character.

"It's my first time seeing shadow puppetry — it's so vivid and lifelike," Ha Jun said, expressing his amazement at the art form's intricate design and long history.

Zizhu Primary School student Yang Chengyu, his exchange partner, discovered they were not only the same age, but also in the same grade. The two had bonded quickly, naming a toy duck "Happy Duck" during a previous game. Their impressions of each other were strikingly similar: "Very kind."

Kim, an English teacher with the group, shared some heartfelt reflections: "Although the languages are different, the friendship and connection between children transcend borders."

"We truly believe that children's hands are the best bridge between cultures and we hope to see more opportunities like this in the future," she added.

Source: Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries